This article examines the development and use of the Calypso contactless smart card system in Europe. The international development project Calypso was evolved to deal with transmission, interoperability and security of contactless technology. The aim of the technology is to perform a secure contactless transaction between a portable object and a terminal: it could be used on a variety of transport modes, offer a high level of customer service and hold multiple applications. Calypso technology can be used in existing standardised schemes. More than forty equipment suppliers are licensed to use Calypso products, covering all the products needed to build a ticketing system. Multiple applications can include transport, staff and parking. Further developments include the ability for a customer to install new applications on the smart card: a Java platform for smart cards allows this.
Abstract